Railway switch



J. D. COOPER.

RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILI-:D DEC. 3, I9I9.

.w .Ink

[21V an iol.

I.. D. COOPER.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLlc/moN FILED DEc.3.1919.

Patented July 18, 1922 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. Inwenior.

p Wg.

JAMES D. COOPER7 OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

a fai tft/1W i w W@ f fair-.TES

Application led. December 3,' 1919.

Operating railway switches, and yto devise a simple and effective switch operating mechalnism which may be controlled from a moving vehicle.

A still further object is to vdevise a mechanism which will not be liable-to Vget out of order and is of extremely simple construction.

The principal feature of the i-nvention consists in the novel construction and yarrangement of parts, ywhereby the switch is operated in advance of the moving-vehicle by a' longtiu'dinally movable member which is operated/by means lof a member extending from the vehicle.

In' the drawings, 'Figure 1 is a plan view of the Switch operating apparatus of the type particularly adaptable for ast-reet railway service. n

Figure 2 is a longitudinal mid-sectional view through the device shown in Figure 1, showing vdiagrammatically the -means carried` by the vehicle for actuating the switch operating mechanism.

Figure v3 is a cross sectional view through the l-ine 'a-a of Figure 2.

Figure l is a :horizontal sectional view through the portion offthe device directly co-operating with the `member carried by the vehicle, showing` the reciprocating member iu the forward locked position.

Figure l5 is a vertical sectional view throughthe line b-b of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional vie'w of the switch operating member taken on the line c-c of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a `modified form' of the invention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view 'of the member operated by contact with the engaging member from the vehicle.

The diiiiculties of operation of switches in Specification of Letters Patent.

diverge.

Patented July 18, 1922. serial no. 342,164.

railway service and the dangers incident thereto are very well known and this inveiition contemplates a mechanism which will enable the driverv of the vehicle-to Operate thes'witch in advance of the vehicle by mechanical means which will -be positive in its operation.

The form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to G is particularly adaptable for street railway service, though it may loe applied to other types of railways.

In the type shown a recess 1 is arranged between the rails 2 at a point where the rails The switch point 3 is of the free street railway type resting in a socket 4: in the rail structure.

The point 8 is provided with a pin -which .projects downwardly therefrom through a slot in the base of the socket.

A guide member 6 formed with down turned side flanges 7` extends between the rails 2 .and in'this guide is slidably supported a bar 8,-said bar having a slot 9 therethrough to receive the pin 5 of'the switch point 3. The inner end of the bar is formed with a slot 10 in which is slidably arranged a cross head 11 carrying on its lower side a roller 12.

Each side of' the cross head Vis arranged a coil compression spring 13 supported yby the guide rods 14.

Allanged guide 1'5is arranged centrally of the recess 1 llia-ving' a centrally grooved depression 16 and on top of thisianged guide is arranged a switch Voperating member 17' which is formed with longitudinally .flanged ribs 18 engaging the side flanges of the guide mem-ber 15 i-n sliding contact.

The member 17 is of an elongated oval shapehaving raised side fiangesl19 and a raised central portion 20 which tormsa pair of longitudinal chan-nels 21 vand'22 which join together at the ends of the central lportion.

ASecured to the side walls of the central portion'20 are spring members 23 and 24C which form conti-nuations of the yguide ways and are adapted to spring in one direction to allow the roller 12 to pass' from one channel `to another.' at oppositie ends.

In Figure 1 the member 17 is shown with theswitch operating roller 12 in the eXtreme end of the channel 21. Upon the longitudinal movement of the member 17 the roller will Vfollow the channel 21, consequently drawing the bar 8 acrossthe rails to bring the end of the slot 9 into engagement with the pin 5 and to thus swing the switch point. As the member 17 moves onward the roller follows `the elongated oval shape of the channel 21 and pressing aside the spring 23 the roller enters the channel 22.

Upon the return movement of the member 17 the roller follows the channel 22, consequently the bar 8 is moved in the opposite direction until the other end of the slot engages the pin 5 of the switch point and swings the point back to its original position and as the member 17 continues its movement, the roller is brought back to its central position and the opposite end pressing aside the spring switch 24 and again entering the channel 21 ready for the next operation.

A bar 25 is rigidly secured to the end of the member 17 on the side of approach to the switch.

A coil spring 26 is arranged in the groove of the guide 15, one end being connected to the member 17 and the other end being rigidly secured and said spring is adapted to operate the member 17 in the reverse direction following the movement toward the switches by the mechanism hereinafter described.

A bar 27 is pivotally connected to the bar 25 and extends into a casing 28 arranged in the road bed. Within the casing 28 is arranged a pair of vertical walls 29 each side of the longitudinal centre and between which the bar 27 operates.

Secured to the inner side of each of the walls 29, at the top, are the guide members 30 which are provided with downwardly extending ends 31 at the ends adjacent to the switch.

The free ends of the bar 27 is provided with rollers 32 which are adapted to engage the projections 31 of the top guides 3() and upon engagement the bar 27 is moved downwardly into contact with the lower guides 33.

Arranged between the upper and lower guides is a metal strip 34 upon which the rollers 32 run in the forward movement of the bar and said rollers when'operating on the lower guides move beneath said strips.

The end of the lower guide farthest from the switch is curved upwardly and the metal strip 34 is formed with a spring end meeting the upwardV curve of the lower guide, said spring end being adapted to lift upwardly to allow the rollers to travel up the incline of said guides to return the rollers to the upper guide and immediately the. rollers pass beyond the end of the metal strip into the upper guide the spring end returns to its normal position forming the bottom of the upper guide.

`The bar 27 is provided with an upwardly projecting member 35 formed in a pocket shape open at one end which is adapted to form a contacting member to effect the operation of the mechanism.

The vehicle is provided with a shoe 36 here shown supported upon pivotallinks and arranged to be raised or lowered. rlhis shoe when in its lowered position enters between the upper guides in the casing 28 and engages the projecting member 35 on the bar 27, consequently the bar is moved longitudinally, thev rollersV moving in the upper guides and upon coming incontact with the down turned portion of the upper guides, the bar is drawn downwardly clear of the shoe.

The forward movement operates the switch operating member 17 to move the switch and as the bar 27 is dropped downwardly and clears the shoe, the carl proceeds upon its way around the switch. The coil spring 26 is then drawn out and placed under tension and it is locked in this position by a downwardly projecting stop 38 on the bar 27.

A cross bar 39 is slidably arranged in the slots 40 in the vertical walls 29 of the casing 28 and engages the stop lug 38 when the bar 27 drops to the lower position. One end of the cross bar 39 carries a roller'41 which roller engages a longitudinally slidable plate 42 having a notch 43 in which the roller normally rests.

A spring 44 extends through a slot in the opposite end of the cross bar and holds the roller in cont-act with the notched plate.

The plate 42 is operated byrmeans of a rocker arm 45, the spindle of which extends upwardly having a horizontally turned end 46 extending across the slot 47 between the guard plates 48. The switch remains turned asl previously indicated while the switch operating member is locked in the forward position and upon the approach of the vehicle if it is desired that the switch be moved, the shoe is lowered and engaging the member 46 swings the rocker arm 45 to operate the plate 42 and the longitudinal movement of .the plate pulls the cross bar 39 against the pressure of the spring 44 to bring a Vnotch 49 in the said cross bar into alignment with the stop 38. The bar 27 is thus released and the coil spring` 26 moves the switch operating member 17 to Vreturn the switch to its normal position and the bar 27 moves inwardly and rises tothe upper guide way so that when the next vehicle approaches the shoe may be brought into direct contact with the bar 27 to again operate the switch as desired.

The mechanism is extremely simple and very positive. There is nothing of a delicate nature to get out of order and it is equally applicable to street railway service and to steam or electric high speed railways.4

.In Figures 1 and 3 a semaphore is shown connected with the switch operatingbar 8 which will indicate the position Aof the switch. It will of course be understood that the connections between the member 17` and the mechanism contained in the casing 28 may be any desirable length.

ln operating on steam roads it is desirable that the distance ot operation'be eX- tended and it isalso vdesirable that the switch be locked. The member 17 is therefore dispensed with and the other mechanism may be modified as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

ln this construction the casing 50 vis set some distance `iromthe switch and in the side walls of this casing are formed the upper and lowier guide-ways 50 and 5l separated by the spring plate 52 and a guide :'33 forms a continuation of the lower guide- Yway.

A bar 5l is provided intermediate of its length with a member having rollers eX- tending laterally into the guide-way 5B. At the forward end of this bar is secured a head 56 having vrollers 57 operating in the guide-ways 50 and 5l, said head having an upward projecting portion 58 adapted to be engaged by the shoe on the vehicle.

A lug 59 is formed upon the head 56 and to this lug is secured a cable 60 connected with a piston 6l arranged in a dash pot cylinder 62 which is of corresponding length to the length of travel of the head a6, said cylinder having small openings 68 at the top to allow of the escape of air in restricted quantities.

To the opposite end of the bar is secured a link 64C which connects with a slidable member 65 operating in a guide 66, which member is provided with a longitudinal slot 67 having an oiiset end 68.

The switch operating bar 69 is provided with a pin 70 extending into the slot 67.

llfhen the head 56 is in the upper guideway the offset portion 68 ot the slot 67 en gages the pin and if an approaching train desires to change the switch the shoe is lowered to engage the head pushing it until it is forced downwardly into the lower guide. This moves the sliding member 66 and the slot operates the switch.

A spring lock member 71 is arranged in the bottom of the casing 50 and engages the head and holds it from returning along the lower guide-way.

Cables 72 and 73 are secured to this spring lock and extend downwardly over a pulley 74.-. one of said cables extending in each direction from the switch and each being connected to a suitable lever 75 arranged in the traclway so that the operator may by dropping the shoe pull upon the cable and release the lock to allow the switch t0 be returned by the action of the weight in the dash pot.

An extension cable 76 may be arranged around the switch curves so that after a train has passed on to a siding it may return the switch to normal for a through train.

switch operating member and adapted to .move said switch operating member in the reverse direction according to its direction of movement. a bar pivotally connected to said longitudinally Ymovable member, a casving lhai-fing.vertical side walls formed with guide-ways therein. said guideeways being separated by a plate member having one end closing the lower guide-'way and adapted to spring upwardly, laterally projecting pins on said bar operating said guide-ways, a shoe carried by the vehicle adapted to be lowered into contact with said bar, means toi' locking the bar in the forward position, means for returning the bar, and means actuated by the shoe for releasing said locking means.

2. In a railway switch mechanism, the combination with the switch and a vehicle, said. switch having a downwardly extending pin. a bar arranged transversely of the switch having a slot to receive said pin, a guide-way supporting said bar, a pin resiliently connected with the bar, a longitudinally movab-le member operating transversely of said bar and having an elongated oval shaped member formed with a pair of guide-ways interconnected at the ends7 spring plates crossing the ends of the guideways adapted to direct the pin of the cross member alternately from one guide-way into the other on the reeiprocation of said member, and means for reciprocating said guide member operable from the vehicle.

3. ln a railway switch mechanism, the combination with the switch and vehicle. oi a transversely slidable member connected with said switch, a longitudinally operable member adapted to operate said transverse member, a bar pivotally connected to said longitudinally movable member and having laterally extending members. a pair of hori- Zontal guide-ways arranged one above the other engaging the lateral extensions from said "bar, means for directing said extensions into the lower guide from the upper and to the upper from the lower. a locking member extending transversely of said lower guideway adapted to engage said bar, a shoe carried on a vehicle adapted to engage said bar, means operable by the shoe for withdrawing said looking bar from engagement with said operating bar, and means for returning the bar and switch operating mechanism to their normal positions.

4. n a railway switch mechanism, the combination with the switch and a vehicle, of a laterally movable member operating said switch, a longitudinally movable member having a grooved oliset to effect the lateral movement of said switch member. a member connected with said longitudinally .movable member and adapted to be operated from the vehicle, a shoe carried on the vehicle adapted to engage and operate said member, means for automatically effecting the disengaging of said member from said shoe, means for automatically returning said member to its normal position, means for locking said member from returning to its normal position, and means adapted to be operated by the shoe for unlocking said locking means.

ber having a grooved offset to effect the lateral movement of said switch member, a member connected Vwith said longitudinally movable member and adapted to be operated from the vehicle, a shoe carried on the vehicle adapted to engage and operate said member, means for automatically effecting the disengaging of said member from said shoe, means for automatically returning said member to its normal position, a notched bar extending across the path of movement of said operating bar and spring held to engage and lock said bar, a cam member operatively connected with said bar and adapted to move it to a releasing position, and an arm connected with said cam member extending across the path of travel of the vehicle shoe.

J. D. COOPER. 

